Boat bumper



C- D. PORTER Nov. 4, 1969 BOAT BUMPER Filed Feb. 26. 1968 INVENTOR CHARLES D. PQRTER BY 9mm ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent US. Cl. 6146 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bumper comprising a flexible casing, a plurality of elongated resilient members in the casing, means forming constrictions in the casing to hold the members in a spaced-apart relationship, and means defining a pocket at one end of the casing for receiving the upper end of a post, thereby to mount the bumper on such post. Tie means is provided for shaping the bumper about the post. The casing is preferably formed by sewing together two identical rectangular panels and the constrictions are preferably formed by stitching the panels from end to end to define elongated chambers for receiving the members. Preferably, when the bumper is mounted on an upstanding post, the resilient members extend generally parallel to the post.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to boat bumpers or, perhaps as they are better known, marine fenders, and more particularly to the provision of such a bumper which is designed to be quickly and easily mounted on an upstanding mooring post to provide a resilient surface against which a boat may collide without injury thereto.

Description of the prior art The present invention is an improvement over prior art bumpers and comprises means defining a pocket for receiving the upper end of an upstanding post, thereby to facilitate the mounting of the bumper on the post.

Summary of the invention The present invention comprises a flexible casing which may be formed by stitching or otherwise fastening together two matching rectangular pieces of canvas-like material. A plurality of resilient members are disposed in the casing and constrictions are formed in the casing to hold the members in a spaced-apart relationship. A panel is fastened to one end of the casing to provide a pocket for receiving the upper end of an upstanding post, thereby to mount the bumper on the post. Preferably, the resilient members are elongated and the pocket is arranged so when the bumper is mounted on the post, the members will extend generally downwardly parallel with the post. Preferably, tie means is provided for shaping the casing about the post.

In the broadest aspect of the present invention, the bumper comprises a flexible casing enclosing resilient cushioning means, and means defining a pocket at one end of the casing, which pocket facilitates the mounting of the bumper on a post. Although preferably such resilient means comprises elongated resilient members, the scope of the present invention includes any resilient means.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved flexible bumper comprising means forming a pocket at one end of the bumper to facilitate mounting the bumper on an upstanding post, the pocket being provided to receive the upper end of the post.

Patented Nov. 4, 1969 It is another object of the present invention to provide such a bumper comprising elongated resilient members, the pocket being arranged so when the bumper is mounted on the post, the resilient members will extend downwardly generally parallel to the post.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a bumper further comprising tie means effective, when tightened, to shape the bumper about the post.

Brief description of the drawings The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in con-junction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of one side of the bumper of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the opposite side of the bumper of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken from FIG. 1 generally along the line 33 but enlarged to show the preferred structure of the bumper;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken from FIG. 1 generally along the line 44, also enlarged to show the preferred structure of the bumper;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view showing the bumper mounted on a post; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken from FIG. 5 generally along the line 6-6 and showing the bumper wrapped perimetrally about the post.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that there is illustrated a boat bumper 10 comprising a flexible casing 12 formed by two panels 14 (FIG. 1) and 16 (FIG. 2) of flexible canvas-like material. The two panels 14 and 16, which preferably are identical, are sewn about their perimeters as indicated at 18 and a binding tape 20 is sewn about the perimeter of the casing 12 in a conventional manner to protect the perimetral edges of the panels 14 and 16.

In the illustrative embodiment, three relatively soft, flexible, elongated rubber-like members 22, preferably round in cross-section, are disposed in the casing 12 in a parallel, spaced relationship. The panels 14 and 16 are sewn together along the lines indicated by the reference numerals 24 to provide five longitudinal extending chambers 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34. A member 22 is disposed in each of the chambers 28, 30 and 32. The outermost chambers 26 and 34 are empty and therefore provide doublethick, flattened, laerally extending marginal portions, the function of which will be discussed hereinafter.

Preferably, the members 22 are somewhat shorter than the casing 12, the ends of the members 22 being indicated by the reference numerals 23, in FIG. 2, so that there is a double-thick, flattened marginal portion 36 at each end of the casing 12.

A flexible panel, which is also preferably of canvaslike material, is attached at one end of the casing 12 to provide a pocket for receiving the upper end of an upstanding post, such as the post 40 in FIGS. 5 and 6. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the panel 38 is connected to the casing 12 by sewing along three of its edges 42, 44 and 46. Preferably, the panel 38 is sewn along these edges 42, 44 and 46 at the same time as the panels 14 and 16 are sewn together. Also, preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the binding tape 20 covers the lateral edges 42, 44 and 46 of the panel 38. The fourth edge 48 of the panel 38 is left unsewn and capable of being separated from the panel 14, the edge 48, therefore, defining the 3 mouth of the pocket. The panel 48 is about one-fourth the length of the casing 12.

The pocket formed by the panel 38 is arranged so when the panel is slipped over the post 40 as shown in FIG. 5, the resilient members 22, which serve as the cushioning members for the bumper 10, extend downwardly generally parallel to the post. It will be apparent that this means for mounting a bumper, such as the bumper 10, on a post will prevent the bumper from slipping downwardly on the post. In many cases, steel pipes, such as is normally used in plumbing operations, are used as mooring posts and, therefore, it is diflicult to tie a bumper to such a post merely by peripherally engaging the post with ropes, tie strings and the like.

A perforation 50, 52 is provided adjacent each end of the marginal portion 26 and a perforation 54, 56 is provided adjacent each end of the marginal portion 34. These perforations are through both panels and preferably are bounded by metal eyelets 58 of conventional form. A tie string 60 is threaded through the perforations 50, 52, 54 and 56, as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tie string 60 being effective, when tightened, to shape the bumper 10 to conformity with the perimetral contour of the post 40.

In the illustrative embodiment, the tie string 60 is arranged to provide a loop or run 62 between perforations 50, 54 on the same side as the panel 38, this loop 62 being effective to hold the lower end of the bumper tightly against post 40. The post extends between the loop or run 62 and the panel 14, as seen in FIGS. and 6. In FIG. 2 is will be seen that the free ends of the tie string 60, Le, the ends on each side of the run or loop 62, form a cross on the panel 16 side of the bumper and extend respectively through the perforations 52 and 56. When the distal ends of the tie string 60 are tied together, as indicated by reference numeral 64 in FIG. 6, the upper end of bumper 10 will be pulled tightly around post 40. The crossed runs of the tie string 60 on the panel 16 side keep the central body portion of the bumper against the post 40.

It will be apparent that it is a simple operation to place the bumper 10 on a post 40 as shown in FIG. 5 and then to tie the free ends of the tie string 60 together to wrap the bumper tightly about the post. Referring to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the illustrative bumper 10 is wrapped about the post 40 so as to cover most of the post. Preferably, a boat will be moored to the post 40 in such a manner that it will bump against one or more of the three resilient members 22 and not against the side of the post which is unprotected by the resilient members.

It will also be apparent that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated number of resilient members 22, and, in fact, any number of resilient members 22 of any length can be utilized in a bumper constructed in accordance with the present invention. Further, it will be apparent that the present invention is not limited to a bumper having a plurality of resilient members 22 and in fact is applicable to a bumper comprising a casing, such as casing 12, containing any resilient cushioning means.

While there have been discussed above the principles of this invention in conjunction with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: v

1. A bumper comprising a flexible casing having a top end and a bottom end, a plurality of resilient members disposed in said casing, means forming constrictions in said casing to hold said members in a spaced-apart relationship, and means defining a pocket adjacent to said top end of said casing for receiving the upper end of an upstanding post, said pocket having a mouth remote from said top end and facing said bottom end of said casing, thereby to mount said bumper on such post.

2. A bumper as in claim 1 wherein said members are elongated and held in a parallel relationship, and wherein said pocket is arranged so said members will extend generally downwardly when said bumperis mounted on such post.

3. A bumper as in claim 1 wherein said members are elongated and held in a parallel relationship, wherein said casing is in the form of a rectangle with said one end being generally perpendicular to said members, and wherein said casing is in the form of a rectangle with said one end being generally perpendicular to said members, and wherein said pocket defining means comprises a flexible panel connected to said casing along said one end and at least a portion of the sides leading away therefrom.

4. A bumper as in claim 2 wherein said members are centrally disposed within said casing to provide a generally flattened marginal portion extending therearound, said marginal portion being perforated, and tie means threaded through the perforations in said marginal portion, said tie means being eflective, when tightened, to shape said casing to conformity with the perimetral contour of such post.

5. A bumper as in claim 3 wherein said members are centrally disposed in said casing to provide a generally flattened marginal portion extending along each side of said casing, each side marginal portion having a perforation adjacent each of its ends, tie means threaded through said perforations, said tie means being effective, when tightened, to shape said casing to conformity with the perimetral contour of such post.

6. A bumper as in claim 5 wherein said tie means comprises a tie string threaded through said perforations at the end of saidcasing opposite to said pocket to define a loop on the same side of said casing as said pocket, said loop being arranged, when tightened, perimetrally to engage such post.

7. A bumper as in claim 6 wherein the free ends of said tie string are threaded respectively through said perforations adjacent said one end of said casing to provide, when said free ends are tied together, a second loop on the same side of said casing as said pocket, said second loop being arranged perimetrally to engage such post.

8. A bumper as in claim 7 wherein said free ends are crossed on the side of said casing opposite to said pocket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,577,236 12/1951 Doherty 114-219 3,079,965 3/1963 Troy -1 JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner us. 01. X.R. 

